LaMelo Ball was cleared from Day-To-Day in the Saturday, Oct. 17 injury report, after bouncing between Day-To-Day and cleared status over the past week. He is clear to play when Minnesota opens its season at the Heat on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
What happened
The Timberwolves' Saturday, Oct. 17, 1:19 p.m. ET injury report lists LaMelo Ball as cleared, up from Day-To-Day. It is the second time in a week the designation has flipped: Ball was Day-To-Day for rest on Oct. 10, cleared on Oct. 12, back to Day-To-Day for rest on Oct. 16, and cleared again on Oct. 17. No detail or report comment accompanies any of those listings. Elsewhere on Minnesota's report, Donte DiVincenzo is out with a right Achilles issue, and Enrique Freeman, Rocco Zikarsky, Bones Hyland, Trey Lyles and Rudy Gobert are all Day-To-Day.
What it means for the Timberwolves
Minnesota is 0-0 with the 2026-27 season not yet underway, and its opener is at the Heat on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Ball being cleared means the Timberwolves head into that game with their starting point guard available after averaging 20.1 points, 7.1 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 28.0 minutes across 72 games last season. During his Day-To-Day stretches, Minnesota's rotation has leaned on Anthony Edwards (35.0 minutes, 28.8 points), Julius Randle (33.0 minutes, 21.1 points), Jaden McDaniels (31.7 minutes, 14.8 points) and Rudy Gobert (31.3 minutes, 10.9 points), with Donte DiVincenzo, Ayo Dosunmu, Naz Reid and Kyle Anderson also drawing added minutes.
What to watch
No return timeline is needed now that Ball is cleared, and no expected-return date has been announced for any of the Day-To-Day stretches on this report. The next injury report will show whether his status holds through the Oct. 21 opener at the Heat. DiVincenzo's Achilles issue and the Day-To-Day group of Freeman, Zikarsky, Hyland, Lyles and Gobert are the other situations to track as that game approaches.
Is LaMelo Ball playing at the Heat on Oct. 21?
As of the Saturday, Oct. 17 injury report, Ball is cleared, with no Day-To-Day or other designation listed. His status for the Oct. 21 opener at Miami will depend on Minnesota's reports closer to that date.
When will LaMelo Ball be back?
He is not currently out. The Oct. 17 report lists him as cleared, after being Day-To-Day for rest as recently as Oct. 16. No expected-return date has been announced for that or any earlier Day-To-Day listing this month.